Area of the Art
The current invention is in the area of nutrients and dietary supplements and more specifically deals with a novel calcium supplement.
Description of the Background of the Invention
It seems that everywhere one turns in a supermarket one finds food products prominently labeled “With Calcium.” A visit to the dietary supplement aisle shows a plethora of calcium supplements. It seems clear that there must be a worldwide crisis in dietary calcium. Certainly, calcium is extremely important in cellular biology. Many important cellular processes are controlled or modulated by calcium ions. Generally, the most important metal ions for cellular physiology are calcium, sodium and potassium. Perhaps not unsurprisingly, these are also amongst the most abundant metal ions in sea water.
In humans calcium serves not only as a vital ion in cellular processes but as a building material for the skeleton. Bone consists of about 50-70% mineral—almost entirely calcium phosphate in the form of microcrystalline hydroxyapatite (MCHA). Most of the remainder of bone is a protein matrix (primarily collagen) secreted by the bone cells. The active bone cells mineralize the collagen matrix as well as constantly remodel the bone by withdrawing and redepositing calcium. The skeleton serves as a calcium depot with the body constantly withdrawing calcium to maintain the correct level of cellular calcium—that withdrawal process is the source of the apparent dietary calcium crisis. As long as dietary calcium is adequate, the calcium depot remains filled and structural integrity of the bone is maintained.
Dairy products are excellent calcium sources as are many fruits and vegetable because calcium also plays a structural role in the “skeletons” of plants. However, as people age, they often become lactose intolerant and shun dairy products because of the untoward digestive repercussions to consumption of dairy products. Generally, human diets are also deficient in fruits and vegetables so that real shortages of dietary calcium may well exist. To compound the problem vitamin D is required to properly absorb available dietary calcium, and vitamin D deficiencies are common particularly in the elderly. Moreover, hormonal changes due to aging, particularly in postmenopausal females, militate against proper bone building. The result is osteoporosis with its danger of debilitating fractures.
In the elderly a fracture—particularly a hip fracture—due to osteoporosis may well signal the end of health and productivity and result in a rapid downward spiral in the individual's overall health. So there really is a crisis in dietary calcium. As the population lives longer, osteoporosis becomes more and more of a problem. The general response has been to supplement the diet with more and more calcium in an effort to prevent efflux of calcium from the skeleton. In addition, various drugs are used in an effort to either stimulate bone formation or inhibit bone resorption. On the dietary front the most common form of added calcium is calcium carbonate (limestone) although calcium citrate is also a fairly popular source of added dietary calcium. To a much lesser extent calcium phosphate (hydroxyapatite) has also been used as a dietary calcium supplement.
Until recently, the bioavailability—that is, rapid absorbability—was considered the key factor in selection of calcium supplements. But then a number of studies began to uncover an unanticipated correlation between consumption of calcium supplements and coronary heart diseases. These controversial results have been perplexing because other studies have shown that adequate levels of dietary calcium are often heart protective. In addition, there is some evidence that inhabitants of areas with “hard” drinking water (water high in calcium) also show improved coronary health. So there appears to be some problem with consuming calcium supplements as opposed to a normal calcium-rich diet. There are a number of possible factors involved. Coronary infarctions result from arterial blockages due to plaque formation. Abnormal platelet aggregation is usually implicated in plaque formation and diseased arteries often become stiff with calcium deposits (so called hardening of the arteries). It is known that calcium ions promote platelet aggregation as well as blood coagulation. Perhaps supplements result in abnormally high blood calcium levels that promote platelet aggregation and calcium deposition. Another factor is that cardiomyocytes (heart muscles cells) require extracellular calcium for contraction—perhaps if the blood calcium levels are abnormally high, contraction is affected. In any case, it is clear that osteoporosis cannot be safely treated or prevented by simply mega-dosing on calcium supplements.